Broadway & The Bard NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (55)
See it if you love Shakespeare well-spoken and don't mind great songs poorly sung. The premise is very clever, and the life stories are engaging.
Don't see it if you feel embarrassed for entertainers whose talents are wanning. Cariou shouldn't sing any more. His black shirt did him no favors.
See it if You are a fan of either or both show tunes and Shakespeare.
Don't see it if You don't enjoy one actor shows !
See it if you are a Cariou fan, you like really well acted Shakespeare monologues and semi obscure songs from old musicals performed by a faded star.
Don't see it if you like strong singing, songs you recongnize, or if you're sensitive to what I perceived to be more than a hint of misogyny.
See it if you are a Cariou fan (who isn't?) and like Shakespeare
Don't see it if you are not a fan of memoir.
See it if You love Len Cariou, enjoy seeing Broadway vets reminisce, have a thing for Shakespeare and chase old show tunes rarely heard.
Don't see it if You have no familiarity with any of the above; if you want a polished performance. He's like your tale-telling grandpa but his voice is gone
See it if Let's face it, the old man doesn't have a great voice, so what's the point? That's it, there is no point to this show.
Don't see it if you really hate Shakespeare...or musical theater from the past.
See it if you love Shakespeare, musical theatre, & Len. Also, if acting a song is more important than perfect singing - a pleasure to watch.
Don't see it if u prefer shows with plots & only like music for the notes. Also, the piano sometimes overpowered him, so if u have hearing probs, be warned
See it if you enjoy Shakespeare and Broadway classics. Cariou has thoughtfully curated both elements and his performance is that of a true star.
Don't see it if you're expecting something revolutionary. This is more of a twist on a nightclub/cabaret act.
Critic Reviews (17)
"An odd but enjoyable solo show, starring the stage veteran Len Cariou, that juxtaposes monologues and sonnets with songs from musicals...Mr. Cariou’s singing voice has naturally lost some — well, frankly, much — of its power and agility since his heyday...Mr. Cariou’s delivery of his Shakespearean set pieces is exemplary, across a broad range of emotional territory."
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"What more could the 76-year-old legend want? The answer’s there in 'Broadway and the Bard’s' second number: 'Applause.' Once an ovation addict, always an ovation addict. Trouble is, Cariou may be getting more out of us than we him...While the narration between sections is crusty and halting, Cariou’s sonorous recitation of Shakespeare finds music in the verse. His singing, however, is not what it once was...Cariou’s vocal delivery is sadly underpowered."
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"The show is warm and delightful. At age 76, the actor's sharp and stinging presence has mellowed a bit and his singing voice has lost a bit of its range, but his aged wisdom and craft as an actor remains of a high caliber. Len Cariou certainly has more tales worth attending up his talented sleeve."
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"The years vanished as the actor once again invested Lerner's words with a devastating sense of loss and yearning....If the rest of 'Broadway and the Bard' were of this quality, I'd be busy rustling up superlatives, but much of the time this is one of the season's odder entertainments...Cariou's voice is seriously diminished and he spends much of the evening pushing it to places it has no business going...'Broadway and the Bard' certainly has its pleasures, but not nearly as many as I had hoped for."
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"Even in the best of moments, little of this seems necessary or insightful. You won't learn much about Cariou or Shakespeare…And though Cariou remains a powerful and creative actor, his singing voice is far from its earlier glory...This presents no such liability on the monologues, which are brimming with musicality, variety, and excitement...Even so, Cariou is so gifted and so likable that you're willing to forgive him and the show a lot."
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"A charmingly diverting if light-weight evening of thematic pairings of monologues with songs from among Broadway’s masters…While Len Cariou seems to have missed his opportunity for a deep analysis of the Shakespeare that he has included, his aim seems to have been to give a memoir in story and song. Under the direction of Barry Kleinbort, his breezy, nonchalant manner is quite infectious and he makes the 80 minutes pass as in a moment."
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"It should be noted that this work, a memoir really, puts greater demands on the vocal cords than Verdi or Wagner. Len Cariou is onstage without respite for 80 minutes. The narration is a joy and all the Shakespeare is splendidly performed. But the songs are problematic. Where they’re pianissimo they are sung superbly. But full-throated offerings that are forte are less effective. There’s a marked tremolo. That noted, the show is fun and there’s no better way to spend 80 minutes."
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"It is a delicious confection of Shakespeare and Broadway songs...Cariou gets an A for straddling 'Broadway and the Bard' and discovering the common romantic ground between them...At its best moments, it's a dynamic pas de deux. But not all of Shakespeare's verse can be shoehorned that easily into the iconic songs...Cariou's voice is not as mellifluous as it was in years past, and he did need a line, or two...However, Cariou more than makes up for this by his sheer charisma."
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